Diastasi Italia: network of specialised professionals

Diastasi Italia was born in 2015 in order to give both correct and free information to anyone who had this condition, not so popular but very important.

Diastasis is the abnormal separation of parts normally joined together in the abdomen. It’s a pathology that mainly affects women after childbirth, but which can also involve obese patients or people with abdominal trauma caused by competitive physical activity.

«Diastasi Italia is a network of professionals, regionally divided, specialised in abdominal diastasis. From physiotherapists to athletic trainers, nutritionists and surgeons. This way, men and women have the chance to enter a centre that can evaluate this pathology», declares Claudia Fabretti, president of the Diastasi Italia Association, the group’s physiotherapist and osteopath.

Given the lack of information regarding abdominal diastasis, not all doctors and paramedics are capable of evaluating it, giving it the right level of importance. Patients may be diagnosed through ultrasound performed by ultrasound technicians specialised in this type of examination, magnetic resonance imaging, but also CT scans if requested by the surgeon.

There are two informative pages on Facebook: Diastasi Italia Official Group, which focuses on only women and Diastasi Uomo, which focuses on men. «Each page has the whole channel on professionals focused on diagnosis, evaluation and treatment – continues Fabretti – We guide patients and try to help them get the right information which may lead them to a correct diagnosis».

Diastasis “not just for women”

Fake news and misinformation is behind the corner. It’s important to discern truthful information from fake news, but it isn’t always easy. Abdominal diastasis affects both men and women, with no distinction.

 «This pathology affects one woman out of three following giving birth, but it doesn’t depend on the type of birth. It happens during pregnancy because the muscles in the abdomen expand, open up, “lateralize” to make way for the foetus’ growth – explain Fabretti -. Sometimes the central of the abdomen breaks or frays, causing loosening of both the muscles and connective tissue, making it not always possible to return to a normal state or to the pre-pregnancy condition. A genetic percentage, the size of the foetus, but also the weight put on during pregnancy can all play a factor».

Men can also be affected by diastasis. In this case, the issue is even more unknown due to the fact it’s mainly considered a women’s condition, with symptoms tied to pregnancy. «Men often are unaware of the effects of badly managing one’s body and abdomen wall. Diastasis can also be caused by intense physical activities, on a professional level. It also involves people with obesity, of both sexes, and patients who were formerly bariatric. There are multiple causes, unfortunately it occurs without there being anything correlatable to the pathology», concludes the physioterapist.